Trying to write for AKMA...AIGH! Waaaa! I just have too much to pull together. So, who do you think Matthew thinks Jesus is when you look at 3:11-17? Hmm? I think he wants to say his usual and make excuses for his being baptised by John. I really do not think that the Baptism of John is significant for Matthew. I really do not think he cares. Matthew likes to redefine things in the light of the Christ. I think...maybe. Hell, people, I really do not know.
The mp3 is cool. I finally listened to it. Wow. Who knew? No ear bleeding. Get it while it is hot! It is your's for free!
the wee essay
Tripp Hudgins
November 13, 2003
Matthew
Seabury-Western Theological Seminary
Matthew 3:11-17
“I Baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful that I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Then Jesus came from Galilee to john at the Jordan to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.
And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up out of the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.
The Baptism of Jesus by John can be seen in several ways.
1. The milepost marking the beginning of Jesus’ ministry
2. The anointing of Jesus by God
3. John’s baptism (Essene? A prostelyte Jewish baptism?)
4. The paradigm for Christian liturgy and theology of baptism
5. The moment when Jesus finally understands who he is as Messiah
These are just a few of many interpretations. I am sure that if we wished, we could discover several more. What I want to know, however, is why Matthew included this narrative. If we agree with Luz, that Matthew is always trying to illuminate the identity of Jesus as the Messiah and then redefine that title for his community, so that they too may be Christ, then our reading of this narrative need never be utilized to understand Christian baptism beyond a “patterning” of our lives after Christ. None of our categories for understanding this listed above will matter.
What we need to concern ourselves with is who Matthew is saying Christ is by using this narrative. Daniel Harrington and Max Johnson both want to say that Matthew is compelled to speak about this because it really happened. It is a necessary narrative because it is an historical event. All the synoptics speak to it, and give it their own theological spin according to Johnson. John’s gospel utilizes it as well. The narrative must be included in reports of Jesus’ life because everyone knows about it.
Harrington suggests that the compulsion has to deal with the possible social ranking of John over Jesus. The way that Matthew deals with this possibly embarrassing event is by including the dialogue in verses 14 and 15. John admits his relationship to Christ is subordinate there and in verse 11. For Matthew, John understands whom it is he is baptizing. It is the one he has been proclaiming who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. For Matthew, there is no comparing the two.
The “why” of the baptism is explained as “to fulfill all righteousness.” This is who Jesus is. He is the one who fulfills all righteousness. It is necessary that he do so for that is who he is. As interesting as it may be, it is not necessary that we understand John’s baptism to understand what Matthew is alluding to. Whether it is an Essene rite or it is a “prostelyte” baptism is inconsequential. What is of consequence is who Jesus is. He is the one who “fulfills all righteousness.”
From here, the narrative is even more explicit about the identity of Jesus. The heavens open. The Spirit descends. He is anointed by the Spirit with the words of God pronouncing for all to hear “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” Matthew has God pronouncing the identity of Jesus. He is the Son. He is the Beloved. God is pleased.
This pronouncement fulfills John’s ministry. He no longer need proclaim the coming of the Lord for the Lord is here. John’s work is done. Perhaps this is why the next we hear of John after the baptism of Jesus is that he is arrested. Matthew no longer needs John to tell the story of Christ.
This is where a non-liturgical, non-sacramental Baptist reading of the this passage may actually be useful. The concern is what Matthew says about Jesus and not necessarily what the Church wants to say Matthew says about Jesus. This may be a tangle that is impossible to escape.
Matthew is attempting to articulate his experience of Christ to his community. He is attempting to gather his community into a practice of Christian life that is Christ-patterned. Perhaps then it is important that we too be baptized. But more importantly it is that Jesus is baptized. He must fulfill all righteousness. Once that is done, we only need follow him. We only need be like him. This does not necessarily mean that we must be baptized by John. Why would Matthew then remove John from the narrative? Yes, there is a historical possibility that John was soon arrested so including him is impossible. Nevertheless, Matthew has no other baptismal narrative. Jesus does not baptize in this gospel. Jesus does not tell us to be baptized. He wants us to proclaim the Good News.
We could then argue that our baptism is unnecessary. It is being Christ that is necessary. The baptism that Christians participate in has been infused with meanings that Matthew was unconcerned with if we look only at this narrative. Matthew was not creating a new ritual. He was telling us about Christ. What our contemporary baptism does or signifies is another matter entirely.
